Shell of a Ninja
by trimurti
Summary: AU. What do you have to do to be a ninja? Do you have to possess strength and skill unparalleled, or can you just get away with just having the desire to protect your master at all costs?


Hime and Ninja..

  


Shell of a Ninja  
  
A Recca no Honoo fic  
  
By Tenshi no Ai  
  
Sigh. I don't own Recca no Honoo, for the umpteenth time already.  
  
(A/N: If you've read the first chapter to Shiawasena Owari Katanantenai, you need the WAFF. If you haven't, well, WAFF is nice anyway, right?)  


  
  
  
  
I met my hime on a Saturday.  
  
I was at a fast food place after school, chowing down on hot dogs and a soda. Oyaji always told me to eat as much as I can, because of how my condition takes up all my energy. Anyway, I was eating when I heard some kids laughing. Then I heard a high pitched wail and I looked up, slightly annoyed. What does it take to eat in peace around here, anyway?  
  
My eyes came into contact with the richest brown I had ever seen in my life, framing a healthy pink face. This girl-my hime-was in the middle of comforting one of the kids. She looked up at my direction with the deepest brandy eyes; I was drunk from just glancing into them. She was beautiful, simply indescribable. She returned my steady gaze, then smiled cutely. I was in so much of a shock that I dropped my hot dog and tipped my soda into my lap.   
  
After I had hastily cleaned up the mess, I looked up again. But she was already gone.  
  
_Like a ghost...but she's the only one that I could ever call Hime'._  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Everybody knew my hime. Her nam's Sakoshita Yanagi and she's really smart. I found out from asking around that she was one of the top 5 highest entrance exam takers in my class.  
  
How did I get up the courage to talk to an angel like that? I've heard that her kindness was genuine, but how would she react to a nobody like me? I'm interested in ninjas and stuff, but I don't nearly have the physical condition to jump around and fight like one. The best I can do is to take away Oyaji's cigarettes and kick him in the head, but that's about it. I'm winded after that.  
  
I cut out her 9th grade picture from someone's junior high yearbook and, whenever I was having one of my bad days', I would talk to her. The picture always smiled back, unfaltering in its kindness. I didn't have the courage to go up to her and talk. What could we talk about? From what I'd heard, she's really into helping out after school at a local kindergarten. Then there's some comic books that she does for the kids.   
  
I like to draw myself as a ninja and pretend that I'm the one going around, one adventure after another, my hime at my side.  
  
_I'm a shell of a ninja, but would you be my hime anyway?_  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I approached her two months after our eyes met contact among the lunch tables near the park. We have different homeroom classes, because she's smart and I'm...not. I strolled into her class, trying not to take notice of the whispers that flared up immediately. I know that they know about my condition.   
  
That's all anyone ever sees in me.  
  
She was, as I've heard is her main hobby from other people, diligently drawing her comic books. As I drew closer to her, my breath quickened and my pulse raced. If I didn't calm myself down, my condition would just get worse. I didn't want those vultures to have more to gossip about me.   
  
I didn't want to show my weakness in front of her.  
  
I cleared my throat when I reached my hime, and readied myself for rejection. The whispers were a steady roar against my ears, many of them in pity or anger that I would dare pollute that girl with my tainted sight.  
  
Ohayo, Sakoshita Yanagi-san. How I longed to call her my hime, and swear to protect her always...  
  
She looked up and smiled. Ohayo, Hanabishi Recca-kun. How are you doing today?  
  
She knew who I was! I steadied myself before my excitement got the better of me. I'm okay, I guess. And you?  
  
I'm all right. Is there something you wanted with me, Hanabishi-kun? she asked, those large orbs of brandy-color flickering over my wasted frame. Dare I make my request of my beautiful hime?  
  
I didn't have a lot of time left.  
  
Ano...I wanted to know if...  
  
But then the third period teacher walked in and quickly shooed me out. As I turned back one last time to the class, I saw the apologetic look on her face.  
  
Almost like she cared about me.  
  
_It's fate._  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
It was a couple more days until I went back to school. It was hell for me. As I laid in bed, all I could picture was my hime's face, with the look of apology plastered on her facial features. It was almost too much to bear along with the physical agony that ripped through my body.   
  
I dreamt during those days. It was like a never-ending reel of film rolling through my mind, showing me things that I never could've imagined. I dreamed of red and blue fire and dragons made from that element, and people that I vaguely remembered from my school. There were crystals with unfamiliar kanji imprinted on them, often attached to strange weapons. Men and women who seemed evil, but had their own reasons to do the deeds that they committed. I dreamed of my hime, glowing faintly, healing with just a touch. I dreamed that I was a worthy ninja to her, healthy and nearly bursting with fire.  
  
Yume. I like that word. They show you things that could've been.  
  
By the third day, Oyaji proclaimed me well enough to go back to school. I had never been so happy to hear that as on that day. I raced to school and headed over to Hime's homeroom instead of my own. I ached when I arrived, but I still could open the door.  
  
She was the only one there.   
  
My footsteps must've been loud, because she turned around, her eyes faintly shining with unshed tears. I couldn't help myself. I ran to her and hugged her. Who hurt you, Hime? Just tell me and I'll make sure they'll pay!  
  
She started sobbing. Oh, Hanabishi-kun, I was so worried about you when you didn't come to your class the next day! I thought that you were dead or something, especially with your condition!  
  
My condition. It separates me from everyone else. It makes me weaker than the other guys. I can't participate in gym during the summer, cause it's too hot; I can't in the winter cause it's too cold. It's surprising enough that I even go to school at all, considering the effort that it takes just to walk there. My grades are horrible cause I fall asleep from exhaustion during class. No one lets me borrow their notes. They're afraid of catching what I have, even though it's not contagious.   
  
But she wasn't afraid. She hugged me tighter, and it was a nice feeling. I've never been hugged by any girl before. I don't have a kaasan either. Hime...aren't you afraid of catching what I have?  
  
She squeezed me a little tighter, and I started feeling some pain. She was stronger than she looked. Or maybe it was because of my recent bout. I don't care, Recca-san. I know it's not contagious. I've researched a bit, she pulled away, and I almost regretted thinking that it was painful to begin with. What you have isn't catching...but people don't look beyond how weak and wasted you look, she played with the bow of her summer uniform, then stared at me with a confused look, why did you call me Hime' just now?  
  
I bowed formally in front of her. I wish to be your ninja, Sakoshita Yanagi, and serve you. I want to protect you from anyone that does you harm...or even wishes to.  
  
She looked pensive for a second, then that radiant smile that she's so famous for shone through. Hanabishi-kun, I think I'd like that.  
  
Please, don't call me Hanabishi-kun'. It's just too...formal.  
  
Fine then, Recca-kun, she winked at me and I almost passed out from the cuteness, so, what does a hime have to do for a ninja?  
  
Huh? You don't have to do anything except for... I was about to explain, when I felt some pressure against my right cheek. I stared at her, openly in shock. No girl had ever dared to even do that to me before.  
  
I wish I could heal you, Recca-kun, but I don't have that kind of power...I'm just an ordinary girl, Hime blushed, and I could feel the heat burst in my cheeks as well, so I'll just show my appreciation the only way I can.  
  
I smiled. In one day, I was deemed worthy by the girl of my dreams to be her ninja, and received not just a hug...but a kiss as well.  
  
Ever since then, I've been feeling a little better.  
  
_Maybe I'm the shell of a ninja, and she's just a ghost of a hime...but at least we're together..._  
  


~Owari~  
  
  
Honestly, I've never done a WAFFy fic like this before...if anything, I just like to keep romance as subtle as possible. But as anyone with eyes and a propensity for my fics can see, I just love the Recca and Yanagi pairing, and this just seemed a little...different. Oh, and the condition' that Recca has in this fic...that's open-ended. You decide. Pick your own debiliitating illness! Oh, and I know that Recca would've never met Yanagi in the 1990's if he wasn't a Hokage ninja...but is everyone going to nitpick on that? (Please don't!) And I know that this is drowning in OOC goodness (Aiya...) ^_^V Have a nice day!


End file.
